


Hourly Joys

by Merzibelle



Series: Semper Fi [5]
Category: NCIS
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-10-22
Updated: 2012-10-29
Packaged: 2017-11-16 20:12:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,712
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/543378
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Merzibelle/pseuds/Merzibelle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Life goes on. The team takes a few days to regroup as Tony's engagement becomes official... again.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> **Warning:** Referenced Character Death; Minor Spoilers for NCIS S9x24 "Til Death Do Us Part" 
> 
> **Disclaimer:** _NCIS_ is ©2003-2012 Belisarius Productions. Created by Donald P. Bellisario and Don McGill. Produced by Belisarius Productions in association with Paramount Television (2003–06), CBS Paramount Television (2006–09) and CBS Television Studios (2009–present). No copyright infringement is intended. 
> 
> **Author's Notes:** Follows "Shakedown" in the Semper Fi Series. The title was suggested by my beta and comes from The Tempest by William Shakespeare. " _Honour, riches, marriage-blessing, Long continuance, and increasing, Hourly joys be still upon you! Juno sings her blessings upon you._ " (The Tempest, 4.1.117-20)

So much had changed aboard the Yard since that fateful day in May. Tim leaned back against the side of the Lincoln town car which his security detail preferred to drive him around in and watched the activity around the Forge Building which housed NCIS’s headquarters. It had taken most of a month to clear the site while he argued back and forth between the National Trust and the various engineers before finally deciding that the Trust was right and the engineers could lump it. In the end, they’d compromised so the exterior would be restored to the original appearance while the interior would be reinforced and upgraded to modern building codes yet keeping as much of the original appearance as possible.

Tim’s eye drifted down to the filled in but not yet paved over crater where Vance’s SUV had been parked. Just behind it were the arched windows of Abby’s lab, a place Tim doubted he’d ever voluntarily set foot into again. Too many ghosts and too many memories for him to be comfortable there. Still, he couldn’t help but smile as he looked down at the grimy stuffed animal he held in his arms. “Hey, Bert. Didn’t mean to abandon you. I’ll get you cleaned up soon. Promise.” The muted roar of a high powered engine pulled Tim out of his memories of Abby and her farting hippo. He absently wiped his eyes as he turned around to set the hippo safely in the backseat of the Lincoln before straightening up to greet Tony as the man exited the other car. 

“Damn, Probie, she’s sweet.” Tony grinned as he climbed out of the Porsche. He moved slower now with a slight limp but without the cast he’d had on for the better part of the last two months. “You really want to sell her?”

“Yeah.” Tim nodded and leaned back against the Lincoln again. He patted the rear quarter panel of the big black armored car. “Sandoval doesn’t like the idea of my driving anywhere on my own but especially in a ‘death trap like that’. So, I have this beast instead and one of the detail drives me.” 

“Considering the threats Fornell’s relayed from Gitmo, I’m not surprised.”

“Sandoval’s not convinced that my father’s going to obey the agreement either.” Tim sighed tiredly but cast a smile at the lead Marine of his detail. “I’m still trying to convince him to let me move off Anacostia-Bolling.”

“Not a chance in hell, Probie.” Tony took up a post beside him leaning against his car. “Until all the trials are done, you’re not safe. Hell, as a Cabinet member you get a detail and higher security anyway. I think you’d rather have the Marines over the Secret Service. They’re a bit stuffy. At least the Marines understand a man has needs.”

“And just when am I supposed to find time to date?”

Tim watched Tony think about this for a few minutes before the older man slumped a bit. “Right. That would be a problem. You could date Laurel…”

“Two words, Tony. Fraternization Policy.”

“At least you didn’t say ‘Rule Twelve’.” Tony smiled and patted his shoulder. “It’ll get better once the trials are over. Sandoval and Malachi might stop beating you up by then.”

“Ah, but there’s always physical training for the Marines.”

“Gibbs didn’t…”

“Gibbs retired for medical reasons. It’s in his personnel file. So he doesn’t do all the training an active duty Marine does and that I stupidly volunteered to do with them. He was healthy and active enough to pass the qualifications but not to remain on duty.” Tim shifted a bit against the side of the car so he could face his friend. “Just like you have been hiding more than a few things in your file.”

“Do we have to talk about that?”

“I’d rather talk about that than those trials.” Tim sighed again as he thought about all the paperwork and testimony he’d spent hours going over with JAG. At least some of the bit players were either pleading out or making agreements to save public face. It was Jarvis and Pierce’s trials for high treason which were getting the most publicity and complicating the search for a new SecNav. “When were you going to admit to the Masters in Criminology or that you’re just a dissertation away from a Doctorate?”

“Um…” Tony shoved a hand through his hair. “Never, if I could have gotten away with it.” Tony looked away from him toward the building. “I thought you were going to mention the citizenship thing.”

“There’s that too.” Tim chuckled softly. “Though I can’t say anything as I’m not the one who approved your application. You’re a damned good investigator, Tony. And like Gibbs, I don’t waste good. So the dual citizenship that you never mention doesn’t matter to me. The dissertation does. I want it done. I want my Major Crimes Unit Chief to be the most qualified man for the job.”

“Sure…” Tim watched as his words sunk in on the other man. His eyes widened almost comically wide and his jaw dropped as he stared for several minutes before snapping his mouth shut again. “Your what?”

“Major Crimes Unit Chief.” Tim grinned. He loved the rare occasions he could shock Tony. “I’m stealing the staffing and unit style of the BAU for our Major Crimes Response Teams. You’re going to have a small team of your own. You’ve earned that but that team will also have at least two companion teams. You choose and assign cases to those teams but keep the most high profile complex ones for your own. I’ll get Agent Hotchner, the BAU’s chief, to explain it to you.”

“Some people aren’t going to like the change.”

“Tough shit.” Tim all but growled the words. “I’ve been going over our personnel records, staffing plans and organization charts. NCIS is way behind the times, Tony. Of all our divisions, OSP is the most up to date in organization, execution and equipment. MTAC was a close second in equipment but the rest of the agency is lagging. It needs a good shaking up or two. I’m going to start here at Headquarters. If it works, I’m spreading it out across the board.”

“This being in charge thing is going to your head, Probie.”

“Not really.” Tim laughed again. He shook his head while turning back to watch the construction crews working on the building. After a couple of minutes of silence, he shrugged one shoulder. “They put me in charge. It’s a Presidential appointment which means I get the job until I’m asked to resign, move to a different position like Tom Morrow did or die in office. So, I’m bringing us fully up to date. Training methods are going to change, recruitment, everything I can do to get us more efficient.” Tim paused and debated his next words. “Question for you Tony, we all know about the BAU, right? So why didn’t we consult with them on the Port-to-Port Killer case?”

“It wasn’t FBI, Tim.” Tony rested a shoulder on the car. Tim could feel his stare but refused to twitch in response to it. “It was Navy. All the victims were Navy people there was no need to consult with them.”

“Wrong.” Tim’s response was flat and hard. “I showed all the case files to Reid when he asked about the case. There were four occasions where a good profile of the, as they put it, Unsub given to our field agents abroad might have brought in viable leads and potentially prevented other deaths.”

“But we don’t work with the FBI.”

“No, Gibbs’s doesn’t work with the FBI unless he has to. Hell, we both know he doesn’t like sharing jurisdiction with anyone.” Tim turned to face Tony again. “I consulted with the BAU which gave us leads to solve the bombing and find the real conspirators. Anyone else would have quit with Dearing’s death figuring it was all on him. If he hadn’t been murdered, something the FBI ME figured out, and questions raised by that…”

“We’d have considered the case closed.” Tony sighed and nodded. Tim knew he was conceding the point. “So, what… serial killers get a consult with the FBI?”

“Serial killers, mass killings and kidnappings.” Tim returned the nod with one of his own. “I only put kidnappings in there because most stranger abductions are part of a serial crime not a single one. It’s rare that a murderer only kidnaps one victim Serial kidnappings are somewhat common especially in the cases of children. If we call in the BAU or Fornell early, we might stop other crimes from happening. We need to learn to cooperate with the other branches of the ArmFed, Tony.”

“I’m a cop, Tim. I have that inherent distrust of the FBI too.”

“No, you’re not a cop.” Tim’s lips twisted into a small smirk. “You were a homicide detective. A very brilliant one considering you had your detective’s badge before you were thirty. Now, you’re a Federal Agent being promoted to Supervisory Lead Agent for the whole of Major Crimes after a decade of being a Federal Agent with most of those as Senior Field Agent for the lead Major Crimes Response Team.”

“I’m not getting out of this, am I?” Tony’s resigned tone of voice belied the excitement in his eyes. “I’ve got to ask though. What about Gibbs?”

“Nope. So, start going over the personnel files. I need a list of your preferred agents. I want at least three four to five agent teams. One will be your primary team, under your personal leadership, with two other field teams. Your team, when not out on an active case, will consult with teams in other offices by phone and work cold cases. I want to start trying to close those. We have way too many.” Tim smiled as Tony actually pulled out a notepad and took down notes. “As for Gibbs, I have a different plan in mind for him.”

“Do tell.” Tony frowned at his notepad. “Hey, can we get iPads like the BAU?”

“Going geek on me, Tony? I’ll see what I can do.” Tim chuckled as Tony shook his pen before taking more notes. “I’m creating a new department and putting Gibbs in charge of it. You saw how green I was in Norfolk yet was expected to jump right into being case agent on that base. I was a mess. So, I’m creating a ‘field training’ office. Gibbs will get the rookies out of FLETC, polish them up and help me decide where best to assign them.”

“You want Gibbs to train the probies?”

“I want Gibbs to weed out the ‘administrative’ agents from the ‘field’ agents. Gibbs has a unique knack for finding field agents and polishing them up, but too many people better suited for administration were being assigned as Agents Afloat or to field teams. I think that’s why we have so many cold cases. They just didn’t know what to look for nor had the intuitive instinct.”

“So, they couldn’t find leads and the cases went cold.” Tony frowned. “That explains a lot though. Look how many cold cases we’ve solved when stuck on desk duty. So, Gibbs helps sort and assign agents. Good luck convincing him.”

“Not going to need luck.” Tim smirked. “I’m going to play on his sense of duty. He knows he’ll never do field work again. His legs are too badly damaged to pass the required physical test, but he’s got a lot of wisdom to impart. I’m not losing that.”

“Yeah. Neither of us would be here without his training.” Tony nodded and put his notebook away. “It’ll take a bit to convince him.”

“I know.” Tim gave another nod. “So, why’d you want to meet here anyway?”

“Burke suggested I talk to the Priest assigned to the Navy Chapel about the engagement and future wedding. Said this was essentially my ‘parish’, so I should talk to him. I just…” Tony trailed off with a hint of embarrassment.

“Need a shove to get going?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay.” Tim calmly reached over, put a hand in the middle of Tony’s back, and shoved once. “Get going, DiNozzo. I’ve got your six.”


	2. Chapter 2

Gibbs groaned softly as he moved slowly down the hallway from his offensively cheerful room to the sunroom/conference room where he and Ziva spent most of their days when not in a variety of therapies. They weren’t being let out of the hospital yet as neither of them could properly defend themselves from attacks. Ziva wasn’t allowed to even try to use a gun though her knife throwing was more than adequate. He’d been restricted from shooting practice until he could stand up without pain. He glared at the cast still enveloping his lower right leg as if that would help it heal faster. It was his own damned fault he was still in a cast. He’d pushed too hard and rebroken the barely healed limb. Now he was stuck for another month or so while it healed up again. At least the rest of him was mostly recovered save for the torture from therapists.

Reaching the entrance to the sunroom, Gibbs paused to lean heavily against the door frame. He hated being restricted like this, hated the thoughts that lingered in the back of his mind because of the restrictions, and instead focused on supporting Ziva through her therapies. Both Ducky and Rachel were worried about her as she wasn’t accepting the fact that she’d never be a field agent again. She was determined to do everything possible to return to active field status. Gibbs wished something or someone would get through to her that if she did, she’d be doing more harm to herself in the long run. Not just herself but to Tony and any future children.

Gibbs shook away his thoughts and watched his remaining adopted daughter as she sat in a soft chair near the large windows. She was still too conscious of security concerns to be directly in front of the plate glass yet was still close enough to enjoy the light and the warmth of the sun. Her head was down as she played with something in her lap. A barely there smile on her lips told him whatever it was came from Tony. He still couldn’t believe just how far his ‘son’ was going to prove himself worthy of Ziva David. When he wasn’t acting as Tim’s second in command, he was attending classes with a Rabbi from Ziva’s Synagogue. He wasn’t planning to convert; however, he seemed to want to learn everything possible to support Ziva. Gibbs knew that Tony was spending today speaking to a Priest about the marriage and if it was possible to have it blessed by the his own church, if only to quiet the DiNozzo side of his family. Gibbs ears still rang from just listening to Tony’s aunt scream at him for daring to marry Ziva. He actually applauded Tony when he hung up on her mid-rant.

Shoving himself upright, Gibbs started to make his slow journey across the room to join Ziva. As he neared, she looked up from whatever was in her lap. Tears glittered on her cheeks in the sunlight. He moved faster, worried that something happened to Tony or Tim, and leaned heavily against the back of the sofa closest to her. “Ziver?”

“I am all right, Gibbs.”

“Then why are you crying?” Gibbs worked his way around until he could lounge on the sofa, facing her but with his broken leg stretched out on the cushions. A relieved sigh escaped him as he settled onto the soft surface. “Nothing’s happened to the boys?”

“They are fine.” Ziva shook her head. “I have heard nothing and both Malachi and Mario have been instructed to call me if anything happens.”

The glint in her eye told him those instructions likely included more than one threat to the men’s future sex lives if they failed to keep her informed. “So…?”

“You know that Liat and Sarah arrived today from Tel Aviv?” 

“What does that have to do with anything?”

“The boys met them at the airport. Tim had a meeting but Tony took them to lunch. Then Sarah acquired a car and they came to visit me.” Ziva shook her head with a soft chuckle. She so wanted to be a bug on the wall when Tim realized the real relationship between his sister and her ‘bodyguard’. Liat was definitely guarding Sarah McGee’s body. She lifted the small box from her lap. “Tony gave Sarah a gift for me.”

“Why would that make you cry?”

Instead of verbally answering him, Ziva handed him a folded piece of paper. Her name was scrawled on the top side in Tony’s distinctive handwriting. Gibbs still hadn’t figured out how Tim could forge his former senior agent’s signature so well, yet somehow the younger man managed it. He looked from the paper to Ziva and, after getting a firm nod, opened the page up.

_My beautiful, brave Ziva: I never dared to dream that you would choose me, but now that you have, I promise to never make you regret your choice. Ani ohev otach. Tony._

“I’m not understanding,…”

“This…” Ziva opened the box she held and lifted out a round ring pendant. It wasn’t more than an inch maybe an inch and a half in size and dangled from a fine silver chain. She offered it to him. He took it, squinted, and could only just make out Hebrew writing on it. She leaned toward him with a barely there smile for his squinting. “It reads _Eishet Hayil Mi Yimtza_ which in English is ‘who can find a woman of valor?’ It’s the first line of a poem by King Solomon and traditionally recited by men in praise of their wives.”

“Proverbs.” Gibbs nodded and smiled faintly. “For she is more precious than rubies.”

“Yes.” Ziva gently took the necklace back. “I am… not myself… yet he offers me praise as a brave and beautiful woman.” She ducked her head, a soft sniff escaped her. “And he tells me he loves me.”

“He did?”

“ _Ani ohev otach._ ” She looked up and smiled despite the tears. “I love you.”

“And that made you cry?” Gibbs was confused. The logic of women never made sense to him. “Ziva, I’m lost.”

For the first time in months, a real laugh escaped Ziva. She sat there, shaking her head and laughing at him, for several minutes before composing herself again. “And everyone wonders why you have three ex wives. You are a man. That is why.” She smiled and reached out to take the necklace and note back. “To take a very bad turn, it is a woman thing. We get emotional over things that leave men clueless. I will try to explain. It is not the words, Gibbs. It is the meaning behind them. Tony… Tony still sees me as someone brave, beautiful, praiseworthy and loveable despite this.” Her hand hit the wheelchair her therapist still insisted she use most of the time. “It means much.”

“So you weren’t upset. You were happy.” Gibbs hoped he was right. He’d not really understood a woman’s logic since he’d lost Shannon and even then she’d often had to explain things to him for him to get it. “Right?”

“Yes, Gibbs.”

“So, are you going to stop fighting Rachel in therapy? Driving poor Ducky insane trying to do things you can’t anymore?” Gibbs sat up and leaned toward her. He wanted to glare but didn’t dare. That would make this into a confrontation which would likely cause her to close up on him. “You really think you’re not yourself because of that? Or that Tony doesn’t see it? Ziva, when a man loves a woman like I loved Shannon, like Tony loves you, all that stuff doesn’t matter. You are brave, beautiful, all those things. The wheelchair doesn’t change that.”

“You do not understand, Gibbs.” Ziva shook her head at him but he watched her thumb rub the pendant she held so tightly in her hand. “All my life I have been a field agent of some kind. First with Mossad, then with NCIS. I have never been anything else. I trained all my life for it. All my knowledge is geared toward that goal. I learned languages and cultures in order to blend in for my role as assassin. I learned to fight to take out my targets.” She paused and looked over at him. “I deliberately forgot the lessons my mother gave me in how to be a Jewish woman in order to be the best _kidon_ possible. I wanted my father’s notice and left it to Tali to be the ‘good Jewish daughter’. I don’t know what I am or will be anymore.”

“You think I don’t understand that?” Gibbs snapped the words at her. “I’ve been trying to figure out how to tell Tim I’m definitely retiring this time.”

“Tim won’t let you leave.” Ziva gave him a hard look. “He needs you there. In what role, I don’t know, but he won’t let you leave yet. He’s going to change the agency a lot. He’ll need you.”

“If he needs me, then he also needs you.” Gibbs frowned slightly as he ran over what she’d said to him about her training. “Ziva…”

“Yes?”

“I remember you complaining once about how you were the only one on the team who knew any languages.” Gibbs frowned a bit at that memory. He could also remember Tony’s glare at the back of her head when she said it. “You do know Tony’s fluent in four languages?”

“And learning a fifth.” She nodded and smiled at him. “I complained that day more to upset him then because I was truly angry. All the translation work was being left to me even when he knew the language. It bothered me. It definitely bugs me that Tim only knows bits and pieces of any language other than English and computer code.”

“Code is a language of its own. I’ll never understand it.”

“But not a useful one.” Ziva frowned slightly at him. “What are you thinking, Gibbs?”

“That someone should take those very green new agents and round out their training.” Gibbs glared off into the distance as he thought this vague idea out. “It drove me insane for years before I found first Stan and then Tony. Even then, I had to work to train Stan up to standards. Tony, well, he had a head start as he’d been a lead homicide detective and was very adaptable.”

“Compared to Mossad, NCIS is very...” Ziva paused, clearly searching for a word, before she settled on one. “Old fashioned.”

“We need a plan.” Gibbs turned to her and grinned. She smirked back at him. “If we have one in place that we can give him, Tim can’t put us out to pasture.”


	3. Chapter 3

Tim straightened up from where he was leaning on the drafting table going over another proposed change to the building. He wanted an elevator moved to put in some offices on the other side of MTAC, an easy enough change since the building had been gutted in order to reinstall the steel reinforcing beams for the floors. However, everyone was arguing about where to put the armory which had caused much of the interior damage to the second floor as the ammunition stored there exploded. Most of the deaths on that floor, those not caused by the collapse, had been from shrapnel being propelled throughout the floor. Every survivor from NCIS’s second floor who’d been asked about it wanted the armory moved to a different location. None of the engineers could agree on where to put it. Now he was stuck making the decision so they’d be able to get the final interior work completed on time.

Navy’s representative wanted to space back where it had been arguing that it was the most central and easily defended spot. The Marine Corps Engineer kept suggesting the basement near ballistics as being logical in case someone needed to borrow a weapon for a ballistics comparison. Tim was getting a headache just listening to the pair of them. He turned pages in the blueprints set out on the table while watching an enlisted man glare at the two officers. Fed up with the argument, he nodded to the junior man. “Where?”

“Here, sir.” The Lance Corporal pointed at the same spot on the first floor plan which caught Tim’s eye. “Not only is the space wide enough, it’s centrally located but not in direct line of sight to the entrance. Since we’re unable to add barriers to the front of the building due to its historic status, offsetting the armory while reinforcing the space against attack is the best option to prevent a reoccurrence of the original incident.”

“Makes sense.” Tim considered the space while running through the requirements his one surviving staff member from the area gave him for it. The space was suitable. It was currently listed as being archive file storage which would be easy enough to relocate to the second floor. Hell, considering which offices were normally on the second floor, putting the archives there made much better sense. “Why aren’t you in charge of this?”

“Not an officer, sir.”

“Ah.” Tim nodded. He’d learned a lot about military command structure not just during his childhood as a Navy brat but during his time as Gibbs’s junior agent. He tried three times to break up the argument between the two officers before whistling sharply. When they turned to look at him, he straightened his back to his full height and glared them both down. “Enough!”

“But sir…”

“I said enough. I want both of you off my construction site.” Tim took a step toward them while dragging in a steadying breath. “I’m tired of the fighting. I’m tired of having to come down here at least once a day to solve these ridiculous petty fights over minor details.”

“I leave and this will never get done. I’ll make sure of it!” The Navy Commander snapped at him. “This is a Navy installation. If I don’t…”

“If you don’t, I will call the Acting Secretary of the Navy and inform him that you are stalling the construction. Then I will inform the President of the same. Understand this, both of you. This work will be completed on time and under budget. It is a matter of national security and I think you’ll find there’s no tolerance for foot dragging on this project.” Tim glared at both officers while completely ignoring the looks from the enlisted men and the handful of NCIS agents on site. He was sick and tired of this whole mess. He needed to get his people back under the same roof and working cases, not scattered hither and yon all over the District. “Between the two of you, you have more than thirty years experience in this field. Use it. I expect a progress report on Friday at zero nine hundred. I expect this project to be back on schedule at that time. Is that understood?”

The grudging ‘yes, sirs’ he received from the two officers told him he’d likely have more petty problems to deal with but that the work would get back on schedule. Tim turned to consider the Lance Corporal who was valiantly attempting to hide a smile at the dressing down of his superiors. Others watching the scene weren’t even doing that much but were openly smiling at the event. “If you’re interested in a career change, Lance Corporal, come see me at the Pentagon. NCIS is always interested in people who can think outside the standard box.”

He received a nod and a briefly flashed smile. Tim nodded back, gave the two officers a final glare and stalked away from the scene toward the chapel. He could just hear the word being spread amongst the military and civilian contractors on site that NCIS was actively recruiting new agents and staff. What? Did they think he was going to hire the ghosts of his late employees? Out of direct sight of the men he’d just dressed down, yet still visible enough to be seen by Tony when the other man left the chapel, Tim sighed and slumped back against the building. “Why me?”

“You don’t want me to answer that, Director.” Sandoval’s voice drew him out of his thoughts. He arched an eyebrow in question at his Staff Sergeant. “Good job.”

“Thanks.” Tim chuckled and nodded. “You’re right. I don’t want you to answer that.” He blew out a breath and straightened up again. “So, what’s next on my schedule today?”

“You cleared the decks to help your 2IC today.” Sandoval smiled at him. “So, nothing. I get to experience all the stress of wedding planning without actually getting married.”

“No need to look so gleeful about that though I’m with you on it.” Tim slipped off his suit jacket and absently dusted it off as he resumed his walk toward the chapel. “Let’s leave marriage to Tony. I’m surprised he’s not been tied down before now.”

“Scuttlebutt says he was engaged once…”

“Yeah. Didn’t go well.” Tim chuckled softly. “From what I saw when we met his former fiancée I’m not surprised it didn’t.”

“No connection?”

“Exactly.” Tim claimed a seat on the bench closest to the chapel. “I think that engagement was a combination of ‘expected of me’ and confusing lust with love. She dumped him the night before the wedding for a really crappy reason, if what he told me was the truth.”

“Agents DiNozzo and David already act married though.” Sandoval propped one foot on the bench and smiled at Tim while scanning the Yard for threats. “I’ve seen it. Asked quietly about it. The stories told by your other agents about them.”

“Yeah, I know. Abby won the betting pool on them.” Tim gave a soft sad chuckle. “The rest of the bettors gave the money to her nuns.”

“I've heard stories about her. She sounds like, and please forgive me for saying this, a wonderful pain in the ass.”

“Abby was unique.” Tim looked up at Sandoval and started to chuckle. He didn’t know if it was the serious expression, the words, or the slight worry in the man’s eyes which caused him to laugh but it was a good description of Abby. “You loved her and hated her at the same time. Or at least I did.”

“In the same vein, you deserve better, Tim.” Sandoval gave him a stern look. “And prepare to have anyone you date vetted by us.”

“Like I asked Tony, when do I have time to date?”

“You need to make time. You’re not a monk or dead yet.”

“I have too damned much to do to even think about it.” Tim groaned at the thought of his daily schedule. “I don’t even have time to write. Much to the disgust of my publisher.”

“Oh, don’t mention that. I’m still ticked over that cliffhanger at the end of the last book. At least when you start writing again, I’ll be able to get a sneak peek at the manuscript.” Sandoval grinned at him before sobering again. “This schedule isn’t going to last forever. There’s no harm in looking.”

“Yeah, I know. I do want to at least get us…” The rest of his sentence was drowned out by the slam of the chapel door. Tony stormed out of the building and several feet past Tim before Tim recovered from his surprise enough to call after him. “Tony!”

Tony whirled around to face him. The sheer rage on his face enough to cause Sandoval to straighten up and step protectively closer to Tim. He watched as Tony visibly forced himself to calm down as he walked back toward Tim’s bench. “That…” Tony stabbed a finger in the direction of the chapel. “There is something off about that man, Tim.”

“Off?” Tim looked toward the chapel and gave Sandoval a questioning look. The Staff Sergeant shrugged slightly in response. “Off how?”

“Nothing I can name specifically though he pissed me the hell off.”

“I can see that.” Tim cautiously reached out and rested a hand on Tony’s arm. “What’d he do?”

“Don’t ask.” Tony whirled about again and started stalking away. “I’m going to go talk to my Rabbi.”

“Tony…” Tim started only to have Tony wave a hand at him as he continued toward where they left the cars. As the muted rumble of the Porsche’s engine pierced the construction noise of in the Yard, Tim rose to his feet and shared a confused look with Sandoval. “That was…”

“Strange even for Agent DiNozzo.”

“Yeah.” Tim pulled out his cell phone with the vague idea of calling Tony to get more answers; however, it rang before he could do more than start to look at it. He considered ignoring the call until he looked at the name displayed on it. Sighing, he thumbed the connect button. “ _Shalom_ , Eli.”

 _“Shalom, Tim.”_ Eli’s lightly accented voice drifted through the connection. It was too strong and clear a signal to be international even if Eli was calling from his personal cell phone. _“I’m about to have a meeting you might like to watch. Can you get to your current video conference center?”_

“Give me half an hour?” Tim wondered what kind of meeting Eli would want him to watch but not take part in. He was too curious for his own good so he was definitely going to virtually meet up with the man. “I have a few questions for you anyway.”

_“Thirty minutes is fine, Tim. I will ‘see’ you then. Shalom.”_

A click echoed down the line. Shelving his concerns about Tony for the moment, Tim jerked his head toward the cars and started walking in that general direction. “Back to the Pentagon. Eli’s got something he needs me to see.”


	4. Chapter 4

Tim settled into a chair in the video conference room NCIS had claimed at the Pentagon. He’d just gotten comfortable when the door opened again to admit Malachi Ben-Gidon who settled in the chair beside him and offered a rather large bowl of popcorn. 

“I thought you might be interested in this.”

“You know what this is about.” Tim grabbed a handful of the snack while accepting a mug of coffee from Sandoval as the Marine took up his usual post in the back of the room. “Gonna give me a hint?”

“Nope. Not going to spoil the surprise.” Malachi smirked over at him. “And stop worrying, Liat’s been promoted to _mefakachat_ over the _katsa_. She’s no longer in active field service but a supervisor.”

“They think I didn’t notice, Malachi.” Tim grabbed more popcorn. “But Liat watches Sarah the way Ziva watches Tony.”

“Does it bother you?”

“Only the knowledge that my baby sister is going to want to move half the world away to a place that’s technically always a war zone.”

“Tel Aviv is fairly safe compared to other parts of Israel.” Malachi grabbed his own batch of popcorn. “You call her that often yet there’s no record of you having other siblings.”

“We don’t talk about that.”

“I see.” Malachi nodded toward the big screen. “Here we go. I think you’ll enjoy the show.”

Tim knew, somehow, that Malachi did indeed understand why some things weren’t discussed. He shifted his attention to the screen at the front of the room and frowned at the unfamiliar room being shown. “That’s not Eli’s office.”

“No. That’s the _Lishka_ in New York. Eli borrowed an office for this meeting.”

“I don’t think I’ll ever get used to how you all just use his name.” Tim chuckled softly. “Cultural thing?”

“Very much so.” Malachi set the popcorn bowl on the armrest between them. “I am having as much trouble adapting to the constant use of titles here as Ziva did.”

Absently eating popcorn, Tim watched the screen as Eli settled behind a desk and nodded to an unfamiliar man who opened the office door and spoke to someone waiting outside. He sat up abruptly as Tony’s father sauntered into the room as if he owned the place. “He’s meeting with Tony’s father? What the hell is he thinking?” Malachi didn’t answer merely nodded to the screen before them.

_“Good evening, Mr. DiNozzo. Thank you for agreeing to meet with me.”_

_“I wasn’t exactly given a choice. Just picked up and escorted over.”_ Senior frowned at Eli and the man who’d let him into the office. _“Who are you anyway?”_

_“I am Eli David. Director of the Mossad.”_ Eli waved a hand toward the chairs before his desk. _“Please sit. We have much to discuss.”_

_“What could I have that would possibly be of interest to the Mossad?”_

_“For starters, your late wife’s jewelry collection. You need to return it to your son.”_

_“I can’t.”_ There was something excessively smug in Senior’s voice. _“I sold it years ago. Junior has no need of it anyway.”_

_“He does now.”_ Eli sat on a corner of the desk in the room and leaned slightly toward Senior. _“It was left to him by the former Miss Paddington for him to give to his future wife. You had no right to sell it.”_

_“Yes, I did. Junior owed me for the money I had to spend on him.”_ The smug tone had gotten even worse. It grated on Tim’s nerves as he watched the conversation. _“So, I sold it.”_

_“And we have located every piece.”_ Eli turned a hard look on Senior. _“You will buy them back before giving them to Anthony.”_

_“He’s not even engaged!”_

_“Actually, if you had bothered to listen to the messages he left you since May, you would know he is indeed engaged.”_ Eli rose to his feet and paced slightly around Senior. Tony’s father twisted around to keep him constantly in sight. _“In fact, he’s engaged to my daughter.”_

_“Ah, the boy finally did something right.”_ Senior gave a wicked sounding chuckle. _“Still can’t buy the jewelry back. I’m tapped out. Now if you want to…”_

_“Do not think that you will be able to capitalize on our future relationship.”_ Eli stood behind Senior and rested his hands heavily on the man’s shoulders. _“And I think you will find that approximately one-third of your Cayman Island’s account will cover the purchase prices.”_

_“How did you…”_

_“What part of Director of the Mossad did you miss, Mr. DiNozzo?”_

_“Fine.”_ Senior snapped the word. Tim watched his body language and realized that the man was already plotting to get out of town without purchasing the jewelry. _“I’ll need to head to the bank before they close so if you’ll excuse me.”_

_“I believe I shall have Mr. Goldberg accompany you to your bank, Mr. DiNozzo. It would be… messy if I found myself needing to track you down. So let us remove the temptation to flee, shall we?”_ Eli resumed his seat and his hard stare at Senior. _“There is another thing…”_

_“What.”_

_“You will refrain from contacting Anthony. He is not your personal bank to exploit when you need funds then ignore in favor of whatever scheme you are working on. Nor is he your ‘get out of jail free’ card as the Americans are wont to say.”_ Eli tapped a finger on the desk beside himself. _“It would probably be in your best interests to retire from ‘business’ and take up a life of leisure. I will be watching you. It is in my power to make your life miserable if you upset either my daughter or son-in-law.”_ Eli smiled. On anyone else it would have looked friendly, on him, it was terrifying. _“I trust we have an understanding.”_

_“Yes.”_ Senior bit out the word as he rose. He started for the door only to stop with a hand on the knob. _“I’ll buy the jewelry that was left to Junior. He never was nor will he ever amount to anything. End up in the gutter just like his mother. You’ll learn soon enough what he’s really like.”_

_“You know nothing about your son which is a great shame. Children should be a joy, not a burden.”_ Eli nodded once to the younger man standing in the room. He joined Senior just as Senior jerked the door open. _“Oh, and Mr. DiNozzo, I would also recommend you changing your preferences with regard to your ‘companions’. We wouldn’t want people to get the wrong idea.”_

There was no answer from Senior as he stalked out of the room. Eli settled into the chair behind the desk, pushed a button and smiled in the direction of the camera. _“Shalom, Tim… Malachi…”_

“ _Shalom_ , Eli.” Tim responded. He knew he could actually converse with his fellow director now rather than passively watch the show. “What the hell were you doing?”

“Getting Anthony his inheritance back.” Eli leaned back in the chair and smiled. This smile was much friendly than the last. “And delivering a message. A man like that….”

“Yeah.” Tim shook his head. “If he wasn’t Tony’s father…”

“Exactly.” Eli nodded to him over the connection. “So we wait and watch as always. It’s what we do.”

“And when he steps out of line again?” Tim knew the question was a rhetorical one but he had to ask it anyway. “I mean Gibbs has threatened him before but he never listened.”

“I will deal with it. A situation like that should not come between brothers.”

“Very well.” Tim rose to his feet and absently tucked his hands behind his back. “So… Tell me about Liat. And why you’re in New York rather than Tel Aviv. You aren’t due here until next week for that ceremony.”


	5. Chapter 5

A door slamming jerked Gibbs out of his afternoon nap. His pain pills exhausted him so he’d been sneaking in an afternoon nap. He struggled a bit with the thin blanket tossed over him and sat up to look around the sunroom. Nothing was disturbed or out of place unless you counted the restlessly pacing Tony. Gibbs fought down the urge to smile as his adopted son acted like the stereotypical pissed off Italian as he paced and ranted in at least three languages. He’d started in what Gibbs thought was Greek, then shifted to Spanish followed by French and was now ranting in Italian. What little he knew of the language told him that Tony wanted to someone to do something that wasn’t only anatomically impossible but likely extremely painful. “DiNozzo!”

“What!” 

“Who pissed you off?” Gibbs pointed toward Ziva’s usual chair so he wouldn’t have to crane to speak to Tony. “Talk to me.”

“Where’s Ziva?”

“With Rachel.” Gibbs glared hard at Tony as the younger man started his pacing and ranting again. This was one of those times where he really wished he could walk up on Tony and head slap him out of his rambles. “DiNozzo! SitRep!”

Tony flung himself down in Ziva’s chair with none of his usual air of relaxation. He was all but shaking with anger and tension. What the hell happened to have him so pissed off? Gibbs frowned slightly even as he shifted on the sofa to be more comfortable while speaking to the younger man. 

“You know where I was going today, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Talked to Burke… you remember her? She suggested the Priest assigned to the Chapel.” Tony’s jaw tightened and his hands clenched, tell tale signs the man was more than upset but truly angry. “There’s something… hinky… about that Priest, Boss.”

“Explain.” 

“That’s just it. I can’t.” Tony dropped his head back to stare up at the ceiling of the room. “All I have is a gut feeling there’s something off about the man. Any of the agents other than you and maybe Tim would brush me off because he angered me with his ‘you aren’t making a valid marriage unless you insist your fiancée convert to the one true Catholic faith and leave her cult roots behind’. When the hell did Judaism becomes a ‘cult’? Said that if I went through with the marriage over his objections then he’d have me excommunicated because I’d committed a deliberate mortal sin.”

“I can see how that would be upsetting, but how does that translate to ‘hinky’.” Gibbs forced himself to use Abby’s favorite phrase for anything weird they came across during an investigation. It still hurt to think of her, especially as his mind refused to yield any memories of that last day, yet he also knew it was a good thing to remember her. “Need a bit more DiNozzo. Not that I can order Tim to investigate but…”

“My instincts are often sound and if I use my brain for more than trivia I might find the answer.” Tony dropped his head and then leaned forward to stare intently at him. “I did listen when you talked, Boss.”

“And learned the lessons well. So…”

“Right.” 

Gibbs watched Tony lean back in the chair and close his eyes for a moment. It was one of the things that intrigued him about the other man. Give him a couple of minutes to ‘meditate’ and he could summarize a case and add potential theories as if he was reading directly from the case file. Gibbs waited until Tony’s physical state mirrored his expression – calm and relaxed – before he again made his usual demand. “SitRep, Tony.”

“After dropping Liat and Sarah off at Hertz, I switched my car for Tim’s Porsche. Proceeded to drive around the District for a bit, wasting time, until it was closer to the meeting time. I then met Tim aboard the Yard where we talked a bit about his planned changes for the agency.” Tony’s eyes snapped open. Surprise and pride gleamed in them. “He’s promoting me, Boss! I get to be a ‘unit chief’.” Gibbs raised his hand; Tony grinned happily. “Right, Boss. Anyway, we talked, he gave me the needed shove in the back and I went to my meeting at the Chapel.”

“Where you met the apparently hinky Priest.”

“Yeah.” Tony nodded. The glare had returned but none of the physical tension. So far, so good. Gibbs waved a hand to get him to continue speaking. “Lieutenant Commander Carl Thomson. He just… irritated me. I knew there would be opposition and potentially paperwork to do, but I didn’t expect outright hostility and demands that I convert Ziva to Catholicism.” Tony paused; his eyes narrowed as he thought before a soft barely audible curse slipped from him. “That’s what it was…”

“What what was?”

“What bugged me.” Tony got up and started to pace again. “He kept asking about Tim. I’d ask a question about the wedding and any pre-marriage stuff we needed to do but he’d manage to bring the conversation back around to you and Tim.”

“He asked about McGee?” Now Gibbs sat up straight and stared at Tony. That was indeed hinky as Abby would say. “Why would a Chaplain counseling you on marriage options and requirements need to know about the NCIS Director?”

“Why indeed?” Tony leaned on the edge of the nearby window. He gave Gibbs his ‘are we looking into this’ look, he’d often wore back when it was just the two of them working the major crimes cases. “I’m there for a consultation and to possibly set up things for a wedding but Thomson wanted to know the details of Tim’s schedule. When he’d be aboard the Yard, who he’d be with, things like that. He also wanted to know where you were as you ‘weren’t in any of the usual rehab clinics so I couldn’t minister to him as expected’.”

“What?” Gibbs tried to get up, groaned and fell back onto the sofa. “Dammit.” He glared at his leg for a moment before shifting his look to Tony. “I don’t even attend church anymore aside from requested attendance at funerals and weddings. I haven’t since…”

“I know.” 

“Even if I did, I’d be more likely to talk to Burke than a Priest.”

“I know that too.” Tony nodded. “Now you see why I said there was something hinky about him.”

“We need to get with McGee about this.” Gibbs frowned at his leg. He wanted to be out there working on the potential case. Someone was asking questions about his younger ‘son’. That just wasn’t allowed, not after the recent attempts on his life, but he was stuck in the hospital still. “It’s possible some of the conspirators slipped the net.”

“And found new leaders.” Tony frowned as he thought. “There’s a case here, isn’t there? It’s not just my gut screaming at me about my baby brother.”

“There’s a case. Hang on.” Gibbs rummaged among the papers he and Ziva were doing their planning on until he found his cell phone. Flipping it open, he speed dialed a familiar number. “Tobias? Why don’t you come by for a visit?”

_“Oh hell. I know that tone.”_ Fornell sounded both resigned and intrigued. _“What now?”_

“Someone aboard the Yard has been asking questions.” Gibbs paused for a moment before finishing. “About McGee.”

_“On my way.”_ Gibbs heard Fornell get up and start out of whatever room he was in. He also heard a muffled yell for Sacks and Dorneget to join him. _“Call his detail.”_

The call cut off before Gibbs could hang up on Fornell. He frowned at the phone. “I do that, Tobias, not you.” Laughter turned his frown into a glare at Tony while he dialed a more recently acquired number. “Sandoval? Gibbs. Tony’s run into someone asking questions about Tim’s daily schedule.”

_“Agent DiNozzo’s not the only one to run into that situation, sir.”_ Resignation colored Sandoval’s tone. Beneath that, Gibbs could hear hints of worry. That was not good. _“We’re not going to be able to keep this from him for long.”_

“Didn’t intend to. Called Fornell in too so get him here when you can.”

_“As soon as he’s done grilling Director David, we’ll head that way.”_

“Oh?” Now Gibbs was curious. What was McGee up to now? “What’s with Eli David?”

_“Director David took care of a potential problem. Had Director McGee witness it. Now, the Director is getting information on Agent Liat Tuvia.”_

“What’s with her?”

_“She’s dating his sister.”_

Gibbs coughed several times while setting down the coffee he’d picked up from the table. He then leaned back and laughed almost hysterically. He could see the disasters coming but it was going to be such fun to watch. “That’s going to make the Admiral happy.”

_“I’m already looking into additional manpower.”_ Sandoval’s voice held obvious resigned tones. Gibbs understood. It would be difficult to find Marines who honestly wanted the position on McGee’s detail rather than the supposed glory of protecting a current national hero. _“Miss McGee is hinting about a move to Tel Aviv. She won’t get protection from us while living there, but… well, the Director is playing the ‘protective big brother’ card.”_

“The McGees always manage to surprise us, don’t they?” Gibbs continued to chuckle softly. He knew that under any other circumstances, Sandoval wouldn’t have told him so much about McGee. Gibbs also knew that McGee had told Sandoval it was best to be completely open and honest with Gibbs. “All right, Sandoval. I’ll let you get back to it. See you when you arrive.”

_“Yes, sir.”_

Soft snickers from the window shifted Gibbs attention to Tony. He raised an eyebrow in silent question while tossing the phone on the table. “Probie figured out about Sarah.”

“You knew?”

“She told me at lunch while Probie went to a meeting at the White House.” Tony shrugged one shoulder while giving a self-conscious grin. “She wanted advice on how to tell him.”

“Well, she can skip that step. McGee’s grilling David about Liat.”

“Only Probie.” Tony shook his head laughing. “I don’t think anyone else would dare.”

“Yeah.” Gibbs nodded his agreement. “Unusual kid I’ve got there.” It was easier now to acknowledge what the two young, comparatively speaking, men on his team meant to him since the bombing. Since they’d all acknowledged their unconventional family. “Very unusual.”

“Yup. He’s a good kid though.” Tony sighed and looked out the window for a moment before looking back at him. “I’ve got a question for you, Boss.”

“Shoot, Tony.”

“My father’s an ass. You and I both know that. He’s never once returned my calls since the bombing. I don’t know if he even knows I survived it. I’m certain he doesn’t know I’m getting married.” Tony trailed off and ducked his head a bit. “Would you be willing to sign the engagement contract as my father in place of him?”

“I'd be very proud.” Gibbs smiled. It was more than just pride he felt but honored that Tony thought of him in such a manner. “In fact, let’s invite my father too. That way you have all the family around you.”

“Really Boss?” Stunned disbelief mixed with pure joy brightened Tony’s eyes. Gibbs couldn't believe how a simple suggestion made his eldest so happy. “I... I’d like that if you though he’d come down.”

“He's called you my kids for years. He’ll love it.”

“I wouldn't know how to ask... could you...?”

“Sure.” Gibbs propped his leg back up on the sofa again. “He’s been hinting that he wants to come down to see me. This is the perfect occasion.”

“I’ll clean up your house for him then...” Tony offered. “If that’s okay... and thanks, Boss.”

“No. He’s going to have to stay with Tim. The bastards are still out there, Tony. In fact, you’d better move in too. It’ll keep Tim from going nuts and all of you safe.”

“He’s going to need bigger quarters, but I get it. He wants off the base, Boss. You need to convince him otherwise.”

“I'll play on his sense of responsibility. Never fails.”

“Too true. That’s how Sandoval convinced him to sell the Porsche.”

“It’s his best quality.”

“That it is.” Tony resettled in the chair. This time he sprawled there, boneless and relaxed, but Gibbs could still see the dark circles beneath his eyes. Tony was exhausted yet looked much more relieved now then when he’d arrived. As if a ton of weight slipped off his shoulders. Gibbs knew what it meant and made a note to have a discussion with Tony about how he wasn’t solely responsible for McGee’s safety. That was Sandoval’s job now.

“Take a nap, Tony.” Gibbs spoke softly. He tossed Tony the blanket that was still draped on the back of the sofa then covered himself with his own abandoned one. “I’ve got the watch now.” He waited until Tony’s breathing evened out into sleep as the younger man curled up a bit in the chair. Then he laid back and pulled out his cell phone. A quick press of numbers, two rings and a familiar voice met his ear. “Hey Dad. Can you come down this week? One of my boys is getting married…”


	6. Chapter 6

Tim leaned against the side of the archway dividing the kitchen from the family room. One of these days he’d finally convince Sandoval to let him move off base but at least he’d been moved into a nice house for the duration. He knew the property he wanted to move into, the home Penny previously shared with his grandfather, and it was just a matter of dragging his detail over and updating the security systems. He hated the restrictions associated with living on base though it did make his physical training schedule easier to manage. On the other hand, it was hell on any plans to entertain. No other director before him was so heavily guarded. He knew and understood why even has he chafed under the restrictions. And Tony’s teasing about him not getting a date for this evening’s party didn’t help.

Despite Tony, Rabbi Mertz, Ziva and even Eli attempting to explain the purpose of the central piece of tonight’s party, Tim was still lost. The only thing he really understood about it was that he was the host, a job he’d all but wrestled Jackson Gibbs for and only won because he played the ‘Tony’s going to need you’ card on the older man. He leaned and watched as Tony, Ziva, Gibbs and Eli settled around a table with the Rabbi. The large decorated paper on which the _tena’im_ had been written was signed by Gibbs and Eli rather than Tony and Ziva, before the pens were handed over to Malachi and Liat who also signed. At least that bit Tim had understood. A traditional engagement contract was between the families not the engaged couple. The fathers signed then witnesses signed. Finally, the pens were laid aside and Eli offered Gibbs a fine linen handkerchief as a token transaction to formalize the document before the Rabbi read the document aloud.

When he finished, there was an expectant air in the room. Tim frowned wondering what he might have missed but heard Liat murmuring to Sarah who grinned happily at her girlfriend before stepping to Tony’s side of the table. She set a large white square cloth on the table, accepted a plate that Tim recognized as being the last piece of their mother’s wedding china and calmly laid it in the middle. Liat wrapped the piece up and nodded to Sarah who pulled out a carpenter’s hammer. She looked at him and arched an eyebrow. He considered her, then the rest of the group, before nodding once. Tim knew what she was asking him. This was more than a symbolic event for Tony and Ziva’s engagement. This was them breaking the ties with their past as well. Sarah, grinning hugely, smashed the plate with the hammer in her hand.

And it was done. Tony was now officially, legally engaged, twice over, to Ziva.

Sarah bent down and kissed Tony’s cheek while murmuring something which made him blush bright red before she threaded her way across the room to join Tim. He hugged his sister to his side and kissed the top of her head. “Hey.”

“You didn’t mind?” She leaned against him and returned the hug. “I know it was the last piece but…”

“It was time.” Tim smiled at her. “The only potentially better time would have been if you were getting engaged to Liat. Mom would understand, if she was here.”

“And Dad?”

“Who cares about Dad?” Tim all but growled the sentence before hugging Sarah again. “He was never a parent to me, Sarah. You were his china doll to dress up and show off to his fellow officers. I know that’s why you acted the way you did in school sometimes, but I understand wanting to rebel against him. Gibbs says that he threw away his chance to know us. We don’t owe the Admiral anything.”

“And you don’t mind about…”

“Are you happy?” Tim responded to her question with one of his own. Her vigorous nod around a deep blush made him smile down at her. “That’s all I ever wanted for you, Sarah. That you were happy with whoever you chose. Liat makes you happy. Eli’s promised…”

“You didn’t!” A hand smacked him in the chest. “Tim!”

“What kind of big brother would I be if I didn’t check up on your partner?” He laughed at her outraged expression. They both knew she wasn’t really angry with him. After a moment of glaring, she laughed softly and kissed his cheek. She slipped out from under his arm to rejoin Liat as the other woman stood by the refreshment table. Tim watched the action before him a bit more before deciding no moment was going to be the best and went to retrieve the large box couriered to him at the Pentagon. He headed back to the table and smiled as Tony handed Ziva a drink. “Tony?”

“Yeah, Tim?”

Tim had to chuckle at the absent answer. It was so amusing to watch the other man lose his focus when he was close to Ziva. He poked Tony in the shoulder with a corner of the box. “Present for you from your father. It was delivered to me at the Pentagon this morning.”

“A present from my father.” Tony repeated the words. He tugged his chair closer to Ziva before taking the box and setting it on the table in front of their chairs. He stood, pulled out a knife and cut open the box. Tim, who knew the contents of the box thanks to watching Eli arrange for it, watched intently as Tony looked inside, blinked twice at what he saw, and then turned to Eli with a faintly embarrassed smile. “Thank you, but how did you convince my father to get this back for me?”

“I asked him nicely.” Eli leaned back in his own chair while returning Tony’s smile with one of his own. 

“Nicely, huh? I would have paid to have seen that. I’ve been trying to get these back for years.” Tony reached into the box and pulled out several velvet covered boxes. He set most of them aside after just peeking inside them. He apparently found the one he wanted as this one he opened with a wide smile. He lifted out the contents, expertly manipulating the clasp to open the necklace, and stepped behind Ziva to drape it around her neck. Tony then closed the clasp and rested his hands on her shoulders. “Before Dad drove her into a bottle, my mother said these were her Court Presentation gift from her grandparents and were to go to my wife one day.” He pressed a kiss to Ziva’s cheek. “I think Mom would have liked you.”

“I hope she would have.” Ziva’s hand came up to stroke the multi strand pearl necklace around her neck. She then tilted her head back to smile up at Tony. “Thank you.”

Tim blinked a couple of times to keep his own emotions under control and stepped back from the table. He ended up across the room leaning against the bar set between the family room’s windows. He watched as Sarah and Liat followed by Eli gave Ziva gifts to share with Tony. A sigh escaped him as he watched the solemn engagement contract signing became a party with all the attendant jokes and teasing. Various friends from NCIS, many of them still carrying the scars from the bombing, offered gifts and congratulations as they started to mingle. Gibbs and Jack watched the scene with all the pride expected of biological parents. The only thing missing was Abby’s unique contribution to the party in either décor or music. He sighed softly as he thought of the Goth.

“Tim?” The soft question had him opening eyes he hadn’t realized he’d closed to smile at Laurel as she leaned on the bar beside him. “You okay?”

“I will be.” Tim shrugged one shoulder. “You know Tony keeps trying to convince me to date you.”

“It would be a breach of ethics.” Laurel echoed his sigh with one of her own. “Only drawback of the job. Finally catch your eye and we can’t date.”

“Well, I am the boss…”

“Remake the rules then?” Laurel gave him a hopeful look before shaking her head. “Bad idea. We both know certain members of the executive staff are looking for an excuse to get rid of you.”

“If it wasn’t for that sword over my head, would you?”

“In a heartbeat, Tim.” 

“Then I better deal with it.” Tim chuckled softly then caught her hand, lifted it and kissed the back. “You’ve given me even greater incentive to do so.”

“And I thought not having to deal with headache inducing shouting matches was the reason you wanted to change things up.”

“That too.” Tim laughed gaily and toasted her with the beer he took off the bar. “That too. It’s time to properly resurrect NCIS.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: The next story, Resurrection, has been slightly delayed by the author developing an very bad cold. It'll be here soon!


End file.
